Door latch



F. I. JADEN Feb, 27, 11951 DOOR LATCH Filed Oct. 23, 1948 Patented Feb.27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a latch and more particularly to alatch of the type commonly referred to 'as being of the barrel bolttype.

More commonly a barrel bolt consists of a rod supported by a housing sothat the rod may be moved longitudinally therein. The housing is usuallyprovided with apertures or perforations including a slot so that a knobor handle for the bolt may project therethrough. It has been foundpossible to insert a hacksaw blade between the door and the door casingand to sever the bolt. In other cases it also has been found possible toemploy a hacksaw blade or other tool in order to rotate the bolt throughthe necessary angle which is approximately 90 degrees and thereuponemploy some other tool to move the bolt or rod out of latchingengagement. It, therefore, is quite apparent that in many cases theconventional barrel bolt latch is unsafe and unsatisfactory.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide animproved latch of the barrel bolt type wherein the bolt cannot be cut bya hacksaw blade or other similar device inserted between the door andthe door frame.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedlatch of the barrel bolt type having a bolt which cannot be moved by anymeans other than the handle provided therefor.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedlatch of the barrel bolt type where the handle serves also as a doorpull or handle.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedlatch having a freely rotatable bolt.

Other and further objects of the present invention subsequently willbecome apparent by reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a latch constructed in accordance with thepresent invention shown in latched or locked position;

Fig. 2 is a view as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view partially in section as seen in the direction of thearrows along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is another plan view showing the latch in unlatched position; and

Fig. 5 is a detailed view as seen in the direction of the arrows alongthe line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that a latch constructed inaccordance with the present invention has a base H provided with a pairof bosses l2 and I3 having suitable apertures therein for receiving acylindrical bolt I4. Secured to the door frame is a fixture 15 having aboss is provided with an aperture for receiving the extremity of thebolt 14 when the latch is in looking position,

The bolt l4 carries a handle ll whichis generally U-shaped inconfiguration having at its extremity suitable apertures for receivingthe bolt 14. The bolt I4 is mounted so as to be freely rotatable in thehandle ll. In order that the handle I! may be used for reciprocablemovement of the cylindrical bolt l4 one extremity of the bolt isprovided with a reduced diameter portion i 8 which is inserted into theaperture of one of the extremities of the handle ll and carries a collar19 held in position by a riveted or overturned end portion 2| of thebolt M. This construction is illustrated in detail in Fig. 3.

The base ll carries two sets of guide members 22 and 23 arrangedperpendicular to the base II. The guide members 22 each have a steppedportion 24 which is engaged by the handle H in the locking position asis evident from Figs. 1 and 2 whereby the stepped portion 24 willprevent withdrawal of the bolt to an unlocked position. Thus in thelocking position the handle ll appears in the position illustrated inFig. 2 wherefrom it will be noted that the handle I! is prevented fromdropping down to a position in a generally vertical plane.

When it is desired to unlock or unlatch the bolt the handle I l israised to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 so that the handleclears the members 22, and the bolt 14 is withdrawn from the boss It.The extremity of the handle ll therefore moves between the pairs ofguides 22 and 23. I

The guides 23 are each provided with a stepped portion 25 so that thehandle ll as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, engages one of the steppedportions 25 when the bolt I4 is withdrawn to unlocked position. Thisthus retains the handle I! in the position shown in Fig. 5. ,In order tomake it still more convenient to use the handle I! to open for instancea door to which the lock is attached, the step may be limited to a mereslight depression at the end of each guide 23, so when in unlockedposition, handle ll is in a plane or position substantially normal orperpendicular to base H and to the door carrying the base.

Since the bolt [4 is freely rotatable in the extremities of the handleI! it is impossible to rotate the bolt M to produce a raising of thehandle I! from the position shown in Fig. 2. The only manner in whichhandle I1 can be brought up to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2is by manual manipulation. The step 25 in the guide member 23 preventsthe handle ll from being accidentally moved to a locking position. It,therefore, becomes apparent that the handle I! at all times may serve asa door pull or handle. The provision of a generally U- shaped handle fora latch of the barrel bolt type similar to that shown which always is ina convenient position to be grasped furthermore makes the manipulationof the bolt much easier.

While two sets of guide members 22 and 23 have been shown it will beunderstood that the function of this guide means could be embodied in asingle pair of guide members, and that the base could be shortened ormodified accordingly. The steps 24 or 25 may be at any convenient depthso that the handle I! is retained in latched or unlatched positionsomewhere between an acute angle with the base H and a position slightlydisplaced from a plane perpendicular to the base ll.

While for the purpose of illustrating and describing the presentinvention a preferred embodiment has been illustrated in the drawings,it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited therebysince such variations in the components and in their arrangement arecontemplated as may be commensurate with the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What I desire to protect by United States Letters Patent is claimed asfollows:

1. A door latch comprising a generally U- shaped handle having aperturedends, a cylindrical bolt mounted in said ends for free rotation relativeto said handle, recess means carried by said bolt for one of theapertured ends of said handle for reciprocable longitudinal movement ofsaid bolt by said handle, a base for supporting said handle and saidbolt, and guide means projecting from said base for said handle.

2. A latch for doors and the like comprising a generally U-shaped handlehaving apertured ends, a cylindrical bolt carried by said apertured endsfor free rotation relative to saidv handle, said bolt having an annularrecess portion for one of said handle ends for reciprocably moving saidbolt, a base having projecting apertured bosses for supporting saidhandle and said bolt, means projecting from said base parallel to saidbolt for guiding said handle in a plane substantially normal to saidbase during longitudinal movement of said bolt and for retaining saidhandle in latched and unlatched positions.

3. A latch for doors and the like comprising a generally U-shaped handlehaving apertured ends, a cylindrical bolt carried by apertured ends andmounted for free rotation relative to said handle, said bolt havingannular recess means for one handle end to produce longitudinal movementof said bolt while permitting rotation thereof, a base having projectingapertured bosses for supporting said handle and said bolt, meansprojecting from said base and parallel to said bolt for guiding saidhandle in a plane substantially normal to said base during longitudinalmovement of said bolt, said guide means having detent portions forretaining said handle at an acute angle relative to said base in latchedand in unlatched positions and for preventing unintentional movement ofsaid bolt.

4. A latch comprising a generally U-shaped handle, a cylindrical boltpassing through the extremity of said U-shaped handle and arranged forfree rotation relative thereto, a base for supporting said handle andsaid bolt including a pair of apertured bosses, said handle beingsecured to one end of said bolt upon an annular recess thereon toproduce reciprocable longitudinal movement of said bolt in said bosses,and parallel guide means arranged perpendicular to said base for guidingsaid handle in a plane substantially normal to said base duringlongitudinal movement of said bolt, said guide means having detentportions for retaining said handle at an acute angle relative to saidbase in latched and in unlatched positions and for preventingunintentional movement of said handle and said bolt.

FRED I. JADEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,015,338 Peel Jan. 23, 19122,403,065 Engert July 2, 1946

